Return To Me
by Dark Mage Chel
Summary: Haku is in trouble and a 14-year-old Chihiro must go back to the Spirit World to save him. But Haku isn't in the Spirit World anymore, and Chihiro is about to be in big trouble...
1. Kidnappings

Return to Me  
By Dark Mage  
Author's Note: okay, I finally decided to write a Spirited Away fic. Hope you like it. I personally think it's kind of lame, but...  
  
Disclaimer: Spirited Away belings to the almighty Hayao Miyazakai, Studio Ghibli, Disney, and whoever else. I only own the plot, a few characters, and the Dark World.  
{Curtains up!}  
Chihiro woke with a start. She didn't know why, she was awake so suddenly, she just was. Something had to be wrong.   
  
She jumped out of bed and put on a jacket. Something was compelling her to go back someplace she hadn't been in four years. Something was badly wrong.   
~*~  
Haku struggled against the ropes that bound him. He shifted to dragon form, figuring that if his bigger size didn't break the ropes, then he might be able to gnaw them off. No such luck. The ropes burned his mouth and made him bleed. He shifted back to human, the coppery tang of blood in his mouth.   
  
Someone began to carry him. He didn't know who it was, or where they were taking him. They weren't very gentle, jostling Haku every step of the way. He couldn't see anything because of the blindfold they had put over his eyes, but he could tell it was night, for he felt no sunlight on his bare arms and back.   
  
Suddenly, pain filled every space in Haku's body. The person, or creature, or whatever it was, carrying him struggled to keep walking. Suddenly Haku knoew what they were doing to him. They were going to take him to the Dark World.  
~*~  
The path leading up to the entrance was much more overgrown than the last time. The grass almost came up to Chihiro's knees. She labored on, despite the reluctance of the grass and bushes to let her through.   
  
Finally Chihiro was at the entrance, and walking through. It was even creepier at night than during the day. No light could be seen at either end. She shivered and zibbed her jacket up.   
  
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she was on the other side. Chihiro had expected to see the fields of grass, and farther away, the seemingly endless stretch of restuarants. Instead she saw the river.  
  
It was vast and dark, and undoubtedly cold. Chihiro shivered again, and wondered how she would get across, when the gangplank of a large boat lowered with a bang next to her.   
  
"Of course!" Chihiro said to herself, thinking back to a previous adventure. "There was a ferry to cross the river. Maybe I can take that across."  
  
Just as Chihiro was about to board the ferry, someone grabbed her roughly from behind and pulled a rough sack over her head. Her hands were tied with a length of cord. There was an sweet smell about the sack on her head, but she couldn't identify it. Chihiro started to feel sleepy, and then everything went black.  
~*~*~*~  
So, how did you like it? Should I continue? Please review and I'll review yours! 


	2. Awakenings

Return To Me  
Chapter 2  
By Dark Mage  
Author's Note: thanks so much for all the wonderful reviews! You persuaded me to update faster... this is probably the fastest I've ever updated in my life. I usually do once-a-week. ^_^  
  
Disclaimer: Spirited Away belongs to Hayao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli, Disney, and whoever else owns it. I only own the plot, the Dark World, and a few characters.  
  
{Curtains up!}  
  
Haku was drowning in darkness. All around him, everything was black. And there was pain, so much pain...   
  
Then he remembered everything. He had been returning to the bathhouse when someone -- or several someones -- had grabbed him, tied him up, and shoved a coarse sack over his head. The sack must have had some sort of drug in it, for Haku didn't remember much after that. Only pain, blinding white pain. And the knowledge that he was being taken to the Dark World.  
  
'The Dark World...' Haku thought. 'But why there? And why me?'  
  
Little was known about the Dark World, even by its residents. The common knowledge was what mothers would tell their children: if they didn't go to bed on time, or eat their vegetables, Sakima would come for them. Sakima was the ruler of the Dark World, a world of Evil, of vampires. Light was little to nonexistant there, and people from the Spirit World or the Human World would soon despair of ever seeing the sun again. When this happened, the vampires would feast well.  
  
Haku, being a river spirit, had known much more about the Dark World, of course. He knew that not only did vampires occupy that dismal world, so did harpies, ahiuzotl, akuma, basilisks, cerebrus, and various other creatures thought to be myth in the human world. And the Dark World was also the dewlling place of Fear.  
  
~*~  
  
Chihiro regained consciousness gradually. At first she thought she had gone deaf, for there were no sounds anywhere around her. Eventually she realized that she hadn't gone deaf; the darkness around her muffled all sound. It wasn't your typical nighttime darkness, not even the nighttime-without-stars-or-moon darkness. This darkness was complete and total absence of light. It was more horrifying than anything Chihiro had experienced as of yet.   
  
Eventually she felt well enough to sit up, and so she did. Feeling all around her, she found out that she was in a small squarish room that was so small she couldn't stretch her arms out all the way. Even sitting down she could touch the ceiling. Chihiro started to hyperventilate. She was claustrophobic; she couldn't stand small spaces.   
  
Suddenly something scampered over Chihiro's leg. She shrieked, tried to jump up, and whacked her head on the low ceiling of the room she was captive in.   
  
"Oh God," she whimpered, "get me out of here, please!"  
  
As if on cue, one side of the room fell away to reveal another identical room. Identical except for the size (it was much bigger that Chihiro's room), and the shadowy figure standing in the middle. The figure was tall, too tall for a human. Chihiro guessed around seven or eight feet tall. Even stranger was the fact that he seemed to be attracting the darkness to him. It was more absolute, more complete, around him, covering him like a cloak. Chihiro shivered. He was far too scary for words.  
  
"Hello Chihiro," the tall figure said. "I'm glad you could pay me a visit. My name, in case you don't already know, is Sakima."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Author's notes: you should all know what harpies, vampires, basilisks, and cerebrus are. If you don't well...   
  
Ahiuzotl are creatures of Central American legend. They are half-human and half-monkey in appearence, with a hand on the end of their tail. They eat human flesh.   
  
The akuma is also known by the names Toori Akuma, or Ma. This Japanese creature is terrifying and evil. It has an enormous flaming head with eyes like coals. It flies through the air brandishing a sword. Even the sight of an akuma brings bad luck.  
  
A note on Fear: I'm not going into detail about this, but (hopefully, everyone cross their fingers!) I'll finish the story I'm writing about the creation of Fear. I'll tell you all when I do.   
  
Okay, now review. you know you want to. 


	3. Meetings

Return To Me  
  
Chapter 3  
  
By Dead Mage  
  
Author's Note: Sorry! I really am. You're welcome to hit me on the head with a super-size baka mallet for being so slow to update.  
  
{Curtains up!}  
  
Haku wondered why he had been taken to the Dark World. He was about to get up and feel his way around his prison when he heard a -clink, clink- sound. He moved again. There it was! Then he noticed the chains shackling his numb ankles to the wall.   
  
Haku groaned in despair. They were probably magic-proof. There was no way he was going to escape this hellish prison and make it back alive.   
  
Then he heard something. A cough, faint and weak. It came from somewhere on his right. Haku crawled as far as the chains would allow (the feeling hadn't come back into his legs just yet) and reached out. He touched something warm, and immediately sprang back as if stung. Cautiously, he put his hand out once more, hoping whatever it was he had just touched wouldn't bite. Then he realized what it was he was touching.  
  
A body.   
  
Whoever the body belonged to, they were still alive. This meant that they weren't a vampire, as vampires are cold to the touch. And they weren't a harpy either, for harpies had wings and usually neglected to wear clothing. No, this was a human. But as to who it was, Haku couldn't tell.  
  
The person next to him stirred uneasily, muttering. "Where am I?" their voice was weak, but Haku then realized who it was. Chihiro.   
  
He cradled Chihiro's head in his lap, wondering how her, a human girl, had gotten here. "It's all right, Chihiro." he said, in response to her whimpering softly. "I'm here, and I won't let anything hurt you."  
  
{Curtains close}  
  
End notes: not only do I have artist's block, I also seem to have writer's block. -.- oh well.  
  
Reviewer notes- (and this is for both chapters cause I kind of forgot last time)  
  
Lady Light: I'm thinking I might kill them both off.Would you still say interesting?  
  
Koko Kung: thank you! ^_^   
  
MagRowan: ...I think I just gave you your answer.  
  
James Birdsong: thanks! YAY, I'M SMART! *dances*  
  
Bleeding Black and White: I'm an addict too. Thought probably to something completely different than this fic... *coughsugarcough* Let's kick our addictions together, whaddya say?  
  
CelestialSonic: yes... *evil laugh* cliffhangers are good...  
  
Twins: DUN DUN DUN! Me either! wait... Oo  
  
Geminidragon: *kills the chatspeak* Yes, I know. I am a very evil person.  
  
Molly-chan the Anime/game fan: *glare* how come you get No-Face?   
  
Neo-Shadow: *_* I feel so... loved.  
  
Kerochan: ...fan? I HAVE A FAN? YAY! *gives Kerochan chocolate* ^_^  
  
KitKatGirl: now you read this chapter. And review it. 


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